Nutritional supplements: quality and safety questioned

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Guests: Sarah Erush, Anahad O’Connor

The New York attorney general’s office tested popular nutritional supplements and found that most of them didn’t contain the herb or product they advertised. Instead of ginseng, St. John’s wart or Echinacea, the supplements contained fillers such as rice powder, houseplants and asparagus. The attorney general has ordered the retailers, Target, Walgreens, GNC and Walmart, to pull the fraudulent products off their shelves or face legal action. Today we look at the herb and dietary supplement industry, its growing popularity, and issues around quality and safety. Marty talks with guests SARAH ERUSH, Clinical Manager in the Department of Pharmacy at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and ANAHAD O’CONNOR of The New York Times.

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